Mark Bugnaski | Kalamazoo GazetteEleanor Pinkham and Jackie Mallinson graduated form Kalamazoo College in 1948 and have remained close friends for 64 years.

When Jackie Mallinson and Eleanor Pinkham were freshmen at Kalamazoo College in the fall of 1944, no one could have predicted the two would still be close friends 64 years later.

The two women are still both active K-College alumnae and are eagerly awaiting the class of 1948's 60th reunion in June. Mallinson and Pinkham even live in the same condo complex in Kalamazoo.

Mallinson was drawn from the east side of the state to Kalamazoo College's reputable science programs. Pinkham came from Chicago, where she learned about the college from a recruiter at a college night.

The campus of Kalamazoo College looked quite different in 1944.

"There were very few males on campus our freshman year; after World War II ended, all of that changed," Mallinson said.

Pinkham recalls riding the train home to Chicago. "The train was so crowded we had to sit on our suitcases in the aisles to make room for all of the GIs," she said.

The women laughed when reminiscing about dating in college.

There was a 9 p.m. curfew for female K-College students, and prospective suitors had to fill out "date cards" detailing when they picked up their dates.

Among other differences between campus life then and now, probably the biggest one Pinkham remembers is doing laundry.

"We would have to walk with our laundry bags down to the old post office that is now the federal building on West Michigan Avenue and mail our laundry home because there were no laundry facilities on campus," Pinkham recalled with a laugh. "The hope was that Mom would send some cookies back with our laundry."

Mallinson still has a tuition receipt from 1946 when a semester of courses plus room and board cost a whopping $381.

When asked what they see as one of the more positive developments to Kalamazoo College over the years, both women said the study-abroad program the college implemented in 1958, after they graduated, is a wonderful addition to the curriculum.

"The program is outstanding," Mallinson said. "It gives students the opportunity to experience places and make connections with people from all over the world."

Not only have Mallinson and Pinkham remained friends over the years, both also have maintained contact with members of their graduating class of 1948.

"We lived through the Great Depression and World War II," Mallinson said. "The classes were small, and everyone knew each other."

The two still exchange Christmas cards with members of their class.

After graduation, Mallinson went on to complete a graduate degree at Purdue and moved back to Kalamazoo to teach graduate-level biological sciences at Western Michigan University. Pinkham became the director of the Upjohn Library at Kalamazoo College.

The most valuable experience the women share from their time at K-College is the education itself.

"K-College really prepared us for our careers and for the rest of our lives," Mallinson said.